


let's talk about sex

by their_dark_materials



Category: Emmerdale, Roblivionberry, robron
Genre: Aaron Dingle and Robert Sugden are Parents, Canon Compliant, Humour, M/M, Missing Scene, Post-Canon, because they're being responsible grown ups, slight mention of Alex Mason, slight mention of Seb White, who give Gerry a sex talk of sorts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 05:45:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14687727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/their_dark_materials/pseuds/their_dark_materials
Summary: “Gerry,” Robert begins hesitantly, once he’s sure he has the teen’s attention. “What do you know about Furries?”Almost immediately, the teenager grins.“Why?” He questions joyfully. “You looking for some advice?”Or, the one where Robert and Aaron are faced with having to give Gerry a sex talk of sorts. [Set before recent events.]





	let's talk about sex

He nearly chokes on his tea when he opens up the laptop that evening, just _barely_ avoiding a spluttering spit take that would have resulted in splattered liquid all over the device.

He stares at the words on the screen for a few seconds, a kind of spacey confusion settling in his chest as his mind begins to run through the explanations for every possibility that could have landed Aaron _here_.

He finds none.

Because there _isn’t_ one.

Or at least there isn’t one _he_ can think of. And as far as he knows, _he’s_ thought of every potential role-play scenario for their sex lives. (Even during those long months when they weren’t together he’d find himself waking up from some not-quite occasional dreams that would leave him hot and bothered and _aching_ for the younger man’s touch.)

In that regard, the saying was quite true, the fastest way to man’s heart is through his cock. Or in this case, _Aaron’s_.

Only he’d never quite imagined _this_. And he’d certainly never thought that his husband would even be remotely up for this.

Unless…

Well, unless this is something that he and _Alex_ had tried once, or perhaps something the otherwise-bland Doctor had gotten him interested in. After all, he _had_ gotten him to try that Italian restaurant by the hospital — not to mention his Valentine’s Day attempts at actually making fresh pasta.

Suddenly it doesn’t seem _that_ implausible anymore. Because if there’s one thing Aaron Dingle will do, it’s try something for a person he cares about, no matter how uncomfortable it might make him at first. 

Robert smiles, thinking of that afternoon at the cricket pavilion, the one that had been _entirely_ driven by his husband’s sexual appetite, he himself taking a backseat so he could enjoy the complete ride he was being taken along for.

So yeah. Maybe this isn’t such a crazy idea after all.

 _It_ is _always the quiet ones._

Robert reads the word again, unsure how to process this. It’s not like he disapproves or anything. Hell, he himself is always up for trying anything at least _once_ in the bedroom — especially if it involves Aaron. It’s just… Well, he’d never thought Aaron's tastes might ever run  _this_ way. 

He does a quick Google search of his own.

:::::

He decides to bring it up after tea, when Aaron’s busy doing the dishes. At least then he’ll have enough time to wrap his head around it before they go to bed.

So when Gerry settles in for what looks like it’s going to be another late night VR binge, he goes over to where Aaron is, standing beside him; crossing his arms as he leans back against the counter.

In front of him, Aaron doesn’t budge, this being a normal occurrence after their nightly meals; Robert joining him to keep him company or simply continue a conversation from before. But when he doesn’t say anything for a few minutes, the younger man stops what he’s doing and looks up.

“Robert, is everything alright?” He’s gentle in his concern, the way he’s been since their big blow up the other day. The one that had resulted in a frank and open conversation, followed by (in equal parts) a solid round of comfort and apology sex.

He shoots a quick glance at Gerry to double check he’s not listening, before turning to look Aaron in the eye, that little bit of doubt now bubbling back to the surface. He quietly asks, “So, when did you become interested in...  _Furries_?”

All he gets in response is a blank face and a confused, “What?”

Unsure of how to thread further, Robert takes a deep breath and continues, “You know, _furries_. When were you going to tell me you’re into all that?”

He tries an encouraging smile, but Aaron’s brow just furrows and he looks at Robert like he’s speaking a different language.

So he just buckles down.

“Aaron, you don’t need to hide it from me,” Robert says with as much reassurance as he can muster. “I saw the search history on your laptop.”

“Robert. What you goin’ on about?” Aaron asks, officially ceasing any work he’d been doing. “I haven’t been on that thing for days.”

“So you _weren’t_ looking up people who dress up as different animals and pretend to be them and stuff?” He responds, tentatively.

“ _No._ ” Aaron grouses, still unclear as to what the man he married is prattling on about. "Why would I?"

A beat passes. He feels his cheeks heat up, as he attempts to find an appropriate explanation.

“You sound like Rodney’s girlfriend,” the younger man continues on, unknowingly saving him the trouble, as he shakes his head and resumes his dish washing. “Heard her in the cafe earlier goin’ on about sexual ‘spirit animals’ or somethin’.”

Robert lets out a deep breath and smiles, relieved that balance has been restored to his universe. He _does_ know Aaron Dingle as well as he thinks he does.

But that just brings up an obvious question…

...and a few seconds later, the obvious _answer_.

He sighs.

Time for _another_ Google search.

:::::

Aaron’s puttering around their bedroom, getting ready for bed, when Robert finally settles on his decision. He looks up from the laptop he’s been going through once more (because sometimes hindsight offers clues previously unseen), and stares at his husband with absolute seriousness in his eyes.

“I think we need to talk to Gerry,” he says calmly, his confidence only wobbling _slightly_ as he adds the next bit. “About _sex_.”

That brings the other man to a _complete_ halt. He blinks.

“Are you windin’ me up?” He asks, a smile on his lips and amused disbelief in his voice. “What’s brought this on?”

Robert just shows him the laptop, slowly scrolling down so his husband gets it. A few seconds later, Aaron takes a seat on the nearest corner of the bed, sliding close as his face gets a lot more serious.

“I know he’s into older birds and stuff. He’s hit on mum and Bernice enough…” The younger man trails off with a frown. “But I didn’t think he’d be into _this_.”

“Neither did _I_ ,” shrugs Robert. “But I suppose you’re never _too_ young to know what you want.”

“What?” He says, when Aaron shoots him a side eye with some raised eyebrows as he takes a seat on the nearest corner of the bed. “ _I_ realised I was bisexual when I was younger than him.”

“Yeah, but this isn’t his sexuality,” the other man corrects. “Just more of what he’s _into_ … sexually.”

He says the last word like it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. Robert knows how he feels. He’d hardly expected to spend his Thursday thinking about Gerry Roberts’ sex life, but here they were, doing exactly that.

 _The joys of parenting._  ( _If_ _you can even call it that.)_  

“You know,” Aaron adds, a thoughtful expression on his face. “He _was_ bangin’ on about some lass he’d met on the pull. Wonder if this has anythin’ to do with _that_. He _really_ didn’t want me to listen to that voicemail.”

Now Robert’s the one confused. “Voicemail? What voicemail?”

The other man’s brow furrows as he tries to recall the exact details of a conversation he’d barely given a second thought to as he was in the middle of it.

“It’s the one I was tellin’ you about on the other day. You know, the one with the joke Gerry didn’t get?” 

It takes a second, but the second detail clearly jogs something in his memory; a flash to a similar moment a few nights ago, when they’d been settling in for the night and Aaron had delivered the set up (Gerry’s “ _Bingo._ ”) and the punchline ( _“That her name, or where you met her?”_ ), with Robert letting out an appreciative bark of laughter, grinning at his brilliantly snarky husband and lamenting that he hadn’t been there to witness it. (Instead, they’d both taken the opportunity to recreate their _own_ version of “steamy” whispered voicemails they’d leave _each other_ , before proceeding to tease each other with both their tongues and fingers, Aaron, in particular, taking his own sweet time.)

However, it’s his memory of the part before all that, that causes him to frown. “You think he was trying to impress _her_?”

Aaron shakes his head and shrugs in response. “I don’t know. All I know is that he was lookin’ for that message on the laptop. Probably started lookin’ stuff up after.”

He reaches back and scratches the nape of his neck, short, muscular fingers moving against his short dark hair, as he gives it a little more thought. “You don’t think _she_ asked him if he was into that stuff and he just said yes so he could get some?”

Robert sighs, shutting the computer and leaning his head back against the headboard, turning over Aaron’s theory in his head. It’s not _that_ far-fetched. _He’d_ attempted crazier things as a horny teenage boy. And he knows for a fact that Aaron had too. 

For a second he wants to _laugh_. Never in his wildest dreams would he have ever guessed that someday they’d both be faced with helping and guiding both a teenage girl who started turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism, and a teenage boy who’s _already_ managed to develop an unusual sexual palate. (To be fair, he hadn’t really thought of Gerry having much of a type beyond older women, and perhaps, “anyone willing to have sex with him.” Not that _he_ can judge.) 

“I’m not sure if _we_ should be the ones talking to him,” he tells Aaron after giving it a few more minutes thought. “It’s not like _we’re_ his parents.” 

He looks up to see the other man nod, a thoughtful look on his face. When he doesn’t say anything, Robert takes it as his cue to continue. “But it’s not like they’re here to do this… And he _does_ live here.”

It’s a _little_ more than that, and they both know it.

Because in many ways, the Internet is a godsend for this latest generation of teens, teaching them the mechanics of everything they might need to know with the single click of a mouse. (Back when both of them had still been figuring out, all they’d had were those nervous fumbles coupled with garbled communication in a dark corner of a club, or at the cricket pavilion — or sometimes if you were lucky, under the sheets in another person’s bedroom (and that was _before_ they’d each had their first sexual encounters with a man). But it will never be as good a substitute for having a more experienced adult sit down and tell you that your sexual preferences are really quite fine, as long as you remain consenting and _safe_.

“Well, if it helps, he _has_ had sex,” Aaron says gently, pulling them both out of their respective memories as he reaches forward to take Robert’s hand in his. “So it’s not like we have to tell him how any of it works.”

Robert nods, his eyes meeting his husband’s and he feels another flash of gratitude for his being here. If this is how stressed he is about doing this with _Gerry_ , he has no idea how either of them are meant to approach it with Liv when the time comes. (Or thankfully, much, _much_ later, with Seb.)

Judging by the look on his face, he can see that Aaron’s thinking the same thing. If anything, he looks _more_ terrified.

“Yeah,” Robert says, giving the hand in his a reassuring squeeze. “We’re just making sure he knows what he’s doing. That’s all.”

Google definitely hadn't prepared him for  _this_. 

:::::

Turns out deciding to have a sex talk with an oblivious, unsuspecting teen is easier said than done. Especially when said teen has a big goofy grin on his face as he plays yet another one of the countless violent video games that he and Liv seem to love. Thankfully having Aaron at his side makes the whole thing a _lot_ more bearable. (But then again, that’s most things in his life.)

“Gerry,” Robert calls out, when he notices a video game load screen on their large TV.

When the boy doesn’t respond, he tries once more, this time a little louder. “Gerry!”

Again, nothing.

That’s when Aaron moves forward and smacks the teen at the back of his head. “Oi.”

He almost smiles at how absolutely _Cain_ -like it all is, but he quickly refocuses once he sees Gerry slowly take off the headset, looking up at both of them in confusion, his eyes blinking blearily as he gazes between Aaron and Robert, and back again.

“Whatever it is, I swear I didn’t do it,” he says, with the conviction of someone used to getting in trouble.

 _Sounds like something someone who_ has _done something would say._

Robert and Aaron exchange a look, a flash of amusement passing through them. It passes just as quick as it came when they remember the matter at hand.

“Relax,” the younger man chides. “You’re not in any trouble.”

For once he doesn't let a silent _yet_ hang in the air, so the teen _does_ visibly relax. But that only serves to make Robert _more_ tense. This is _not_ a conversation he’d ever foreseen having, but it’s one he knows is needed.

“Gerry,” he begins hesitantly, once he’s sure he has the teen’s attention. “What do you know about _Furries_?”

Almost immediately, the teenager _grins_.

“Why?” He questions joyfully. “You looking for some _advice_?”

Robert stands there frozen, not having anticipated _this_ outcome. As the little mental script he’d prepared for this interaction flies out the window, he looks over to Aaron for help. But his husband looks just as frozen in shock as he feels. Not that Gerry notices.

So he’s left just staring back at the teenager as he continues talking.

“You know, if you’re wonderin’ what your _fursonas_ are, don’t worry about it,” he says with his usual bombastic confidence; as if both of them know what the hell that even is. “I’ve _already_ got it sorted.”

“You _what_?” Aaron asks, managing to recover faster than him. Robert’s never been so grateful to have him here.

But instead of answering him, Gerry’s busy reaching under the gaming chair and… pulling out a _sketchbook_ of some sort.

_Gerry… draws?_

They exchange puzzled glances. Meanwhile, the teenager flips through it, his face the perfect picture of excitement, until he finds the page he’s looking for. (Presumably containing his written notes. Robert would prefer not to ask what it is he _does_ draw.)

 _Please don't let it be_ us _as various animals._

“Here we are!” He says, excitedly glancing up at both of them. “Now, I know you might not agree with these. But hear me out…”

He breathes in, bracing himself for whatever’s going to come next because he _still_ isn’t sure what to say. Or what Gerry might even be talking about.

“Robert, you would be a fox. Because you’re all smart and stuff.”

_Alright, that’s not so bad._

“And Aaron, you’d be a bear!” 

He _barely_ holds in his laugh at his husband’s face, the expression halfway between surprise and offense.

“Why is _that_?” Aaron asks, a grumpy, almost suspicious tint to his voice.

“Cos you’re always grumpy, aren't ya?" Gerry explains like it's quite plain to see. "It's like you're always wakin' up from hibernation. Not sure you even have a good side of the bed if I'm bein' honest."  

Now Robert _really_ isn’t able to hold in his snicker. For all his knowledge of this particular subculture, the teenager has no clue what else he’d been referencing — something that’s a bit of contention between him and Aaron, the younger man constantly refusing to accept that he falls into this particular category among gay the gay community —  _fursona_ or otherwise.

But there’s no time to rub it in because Gerry’s back to outlining the animals he’s settled on for the _rest_ of this little family.

“Liv would be a wolverine, because she’s all small and fierce-like,” he rambles, smiling over at Aaron, before turning to Robert. “And I don’t know what Seb would be. But since he’s a baby, I figure he’d be a joey.”

Gerry waits a beat for that to sink in before elaborating, “You know, like a baby kangaroo?”

He seems particularly thrilled with that choice, so Robert just nods and responds, “We know, Gerry.”

Not that the teen is listening.

“And I’d be a _lion_ ,” he declares, a big, proud smile on his face. “Even _Misty_ thinks so.”

 _Well, if_ Misty _thinks so._

“Why?” Aaron asks, having found his sharp-as-usual tongue. “Because you sit around all day and do very little actual work?”

The younger man then flicks over a quick glance over at him, and Robert smiles in amusement. With everything that’s been going on with Liv, he’s missed this side of his husband.

The boy frowns and shakes his head. “ _No_. Because I’m brave and a leader.”

“Gerry, you let _Tip_ boss you around,” Aaron points out, clearly not done with the teasing. (Robert huffs a laugh in response.)

“Yeah, but _you_ try sayin’ no to her,” Gerry argues back firmly. “She’s real bossy for a dog!”

Robert sighs, looking from Aaron over to Gerry and marveling that _yes,_ this is indeed a scene from his life now. If it involved anyone else, he’d note just how offtrack this crazy conversation has gone. But because it involves Gerry, he knows it’s par for the course. After all, they'd spent part of Friday evening dodging Gerry’s many attempts to get them to take a quiz determining which "Real Hairdresser of Harrogate" they each were. (There are some things he just doesn't have time for. This being one of them...  Also he's pretty sure he's a Marcel.) 

Though in retrospect, maybe they should have expected this.

_No more TV for him or Liv._

Not one to give up, the older man tries again. “Okay, but _that’s_ not what we wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh...” Gerry replies thoughtfully. “I know what this is about...”

Robert's chest is flooded with relief. Perhaps he won’t have to bring it up after all. Perhaps, just this once, _Gerry_ will save him some of the trouble involved…

“You probably want to know where to get the outfits, eh?” The question is accompanied by a suggestive pair of waggling eyebrows. “Don’t worry! I happen to know that Jimmy and Eric have _exactly_ what you’re lookin’ for!”

He pauses and gives Robert a scrutinising look, “Never pictured you as an elephant though. Maybe you should see Rishi about his crocodile.”

Now  _Aaron's_ the one snickering as Robert shakes his head in frustration, his heart sinking a little. Because nothing with this teen is _ever_ easy.

He sighs, pushing aside the memory of yet another _literal_ fire he’d had to put out at the scrapyard.

“No, actually,” he begins, but he’s quickly cut off once more. 

“You know, there’s no shame in that,” Gerry tells them both confidently, bringing Aaron's quiet laughter to a close. “It’s nice to role-play every now and then. Keeps things fresh!”

“And what would you know about _that_?”

Aaron’s back in the conversation, having officially ceased his distant 100-yard stare into nothingness from when Robert had tried to eyes catch his attention a few moments ago. 

_Oh Thank God._

“I mean, I don’t _know_ know,” Gerry admits, turning pink slightly. “But I always figured it doesn’t hurt. Keeps marriages goin’ and stuff.”

“Yeah, well, we don’t need it,” Robert says as bluntly as he can. Some of the frustration he's been bottling up tumbles into his voice...

... and it catches Gerry's attention because suddenly the boy shuts up and looks over at him with big, wide eyes. It's now or never.  

_Third time’s the charm._

“We found something on Aaron’s laptop,” Robert says slowly, as he watches Gerry gulp nervously. “And we’re not angry or anything. We just want to talk. That’s all.”

“I can explain-“ The teenage protests, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Robert's never seen him so tense. 

“You don’t have to,” Aaron says gently. “We remember what it was like back then. So we just want to make sure you know what you’re doin’. That's all.”

Gerry blinks at them, his cheeks wobbling a little. It’s clear he’s confused.

“Aaron told me about the voicemail, from that girl you met,” Robert tells him, hoping to clear things up. “And I found some of the things you’d been lookin' up from the other day. Stuff about furries and nearby groups of them?” 

Oddly enough, the boy's cheeks stop turning red. He lets out a sigh of relief. 

“ _Oh!_ That was just ‘cause of Bob’s stag do!” He exclaims in explanation. “Everyone was wearin’ them animal onesie things, so I thought I’d look it up.”

“Oh.” Robert replies at this surprising but totally plausible explanation.

The next few seconds stretch out as the silence settles upon all of them, gently dusting the misunderstanding away. 

“You know, bein’ a furry isn’t about the sex,” Gerry tells them both quite sagely. For a second he seems much more mature and wiser than his years. “They’re just people who really like it with animals behave kind of like humans. Like me and Tip!" 

He gives it a second of thought and then adds, “Actually, I reckon Tip’s like a _reverse_ furry. She’s always actin’ like she’s human. It's real irritatin’ sometimes!”

“Well, if _that’s_ all,” Aaron interrupts, meeting Robert’s eyes. Judging from his expression he’s more than ready to call it a day, but the blonde man finds himself shaking his head slightly, much to both their disappointment.

Robert refocuses his attention on Gerry, who’s settled back down somewhat.

“Look, Gerry,” he says, his tone meaning business. Once again, the boy gives him his full attention, his entire expression one of quiet listening. “Aaron and I just want to make sure that you know that you _can_ say no if you don’t like or aren’t interested in something, you know, _sexually_.”

He pauses, taking a moment for his words to sink in. (If Gerry’s slowly reddening cheeks are an indication, they are.) He then continues, carefully, “I know it feels like all you can think about now is sex and how to have sex, but it’s not worth doing stuff if _you’re_ not comfortable. And that applies if it’s with a woman _or_ a man.”

“And the same goes for _you_ ,” Aaron tells him firmly, a steely gruffness in his voice. Robert feels a chill run up his spine. He files it away for  _later_. 

“It’s fine to be into older women and all, but no more of this chasin’ after women even if you know they’re in relationships,” Aaron outlines sternly. “If they say no, it’s a no. You listen and you  _move on_. You got that?”

Gerry nods, the expression on his face possibly the most serious he’s ever seen.

So Robert kindly adds, “We’re telling you this because we want you to be careful.”

“Speakin’ of careful,” Aaron adds, currently the strict cop to his nicer one. “Make sure _you_ always use protection. We already have _one_ baby. We don’t need another. _You_ make enough of a mess as it is.”

Gerry keeps nodding, more than aware of the seriousness of the conversation they're having. 

But a few moments later, he  _smiles_. 

“What?” Robert asks, a little confused as to the source of all this. 

“You _care_ about me,” Gerry says proudly.

“Never said we didn’t,” Aaron points out. And it's true. As much as they rib the teenager and all this funny sayings and habits, they are both fond of him in their own way. 

"Well, you don't say you do either," the boy argues half-heartedly. "But thanks. I really appreciate this." 

They both nod, before Aaron takes a moment to state, "If there ever  _is_ something that's worryin' you, especially about sex stuff, make sure you come talk to us. You got that?"

For a second it looks like Gerry might actually say something, but then he bites his tongue. Instead, he just tells them, "Thanks. No one's ever taken the time to tell me this stuff before."

“Well, like we said," Robert reminds him kindly. "We remember what it was like.”

He looks over at Aaron and receives a supportive nod and a smile. It makes his own grow that much bigger.

Some things really  _shouldn't_ be left to Google.

:::::

“Can you believe that?” Aaron laughs in relief once they're back in the safety of their bedroom. "Gerry tryin' to give  _us_ sex advice?" 

Robert turns to face his husband as he shuts the door. 

"Oh I don't know," he says teasingly as he takes a step closer towards the younger man, his hands coming up to rest on his waist, his fingers automatically finding their way under his t-shirt to rest on the nexus between his waistband and bare skin. "Might be  _fun_ to try and spice things up." 

Aaron just quirks an eyebrow, his own hands coming to rest on Robert's elbows. His fingers stroking back and forth. "Should I give Rishi a call then? Get you that crocodile onesie?" 

Robert fires back enthusiastically, "Only if we borrow Jimmy's as well." 

For a brief moment he plays with the idea of going online ordering a bear-shaped onesie, just to rile up his partner. 

He feels his grin fade as he's met with a  _very_ unimpressed Dingle. 

"Do you want _this_ to happen or not?"

Robert quickly shakes his head in response. "Why fix what  _isn't_ broken?" 

Aaron grunts in acceptance before coming in for a kiss. 

Maybe he needs to take a break from Google. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'd joked about this on Tumblr, but then I found that with upcoming spoilers teasing a certain event being a possibility, that this was a story I really did want to tell. But like everything I set out to write, I guess I wanted to also explore what might be like for two guys like Robert and Aaron, with their respective histories to be giving a teen they're only tangential guardians to, a talk about sex and consent and stuff — especially if they think he might be in over his head. 
> 
> I hope I did this conversation justice, if not do let me know. Because I just tried to write the conversation I would give a young person if I were in their position. Having said that, I know I didn't represent furries as accurately as possible. But that was because I was trying to approach it the way either Robert or Aaron might, and I didn't think either of them would have a deeper understanding of the culture, the way Gerry might. (Also I don't think I'm a skilled enough writer yet to explore this in a more respectful way.) 
> 
> If I've got any facts wrong, do let me know. Ed's got a lot of history and I'm one very human person. Otherwise, feel free to drop any thoughts, comments, questions, or concerns below! Or find me on Tumblr as rustandruin. 
> 
> Hope you all have a better Thursday than a certain someone...


End file.
